Hand bags



M. J. COHEN July 16, 1957 HAND BAGS Filed June '17, 1955 United States Patent HAND BAGS Moe J. Cohen, Lawrence, N. Y., assignor to Pyramid Leather Goods Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 17, 1955, Serial No. 516,081

1 Claim. (Cl. 15028) The present invention relates to childrens, misses and womens hand bags and more particularly to improvements in the type known as the tote bag.

A tote bag is an open-mouthed bag usually provided with handle means of some sort. Many are made in the shape of a flattened pail form having bail-type or other handle means. Heretofore, tote bags were used only for their utility as a sort of catch all, but they are now made in various tasteful styles and decorative shapes so that they have been adopted for dress wear. Their open mouth however, has limited their use, because of the lack of a closure means. The use of a latch means and the like would deter from their character and general utility and so equipped, would cease being tote bags.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide the tote bag with a novel and improved closure means which blocks the mouth of the bag against pilfering, serves as an auxiliary closable purse and is made detachable so that what served as the means to block the mouth of the tote bag, may be used alone as a clutch bag.

A further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved tote and clutch bag structure of the character described, wherein the tote bag and clutch bag are so related that each deters the pilfering of the contents of the other.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel and im proved article of the type set forth which is reasonably cheap to manufacture, easy to manipulate and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a tote and clutch bag combination embodying the teachings of this inven tion.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the clutch bag.

Fig. 3 is a section taken at lines 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 1, with the clutch bag arranged in such fashion that the possibility of pilfering either said clutch bag or the tote bag, is minimized.

In the drawings, the numeral 15 designates generally a tote bag and the numeral 16 indicates generally a clutch bag, as they are commonly known in the trade. The tote bag 15 has an open mouth and may have bail-type handle 17. The clutch bag 16 is dimensioned to fit partly downice wards into the tote bag 15 and fill the mouth of the latter. Said clutch bag may have any suitable closure means as for instance the slidable fastener or zipper 18. The clutch bag is detachably mounted onto the tote bag at the ends, by means for instance of the releasably engageable glove snap elements, 19, 19' and 20, 20'. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the glove snap elements19', 20' are on upward tabs 21, 22 at the respective ends of the clutch bag 16.

In the assembly shown in Fig. 1, the clutch bag 16 blocks the mouth of the tote bag 15 against pilferage, while in the set-up illustrated in Fig. 4, each bag guards the other against pilferage. Here, the clutch bag 16 may beswung down to one side of the tote bag 15 to gain better access to the tote bag 15, because said clutch bag is free to swivel, for which purpose, the glove snap elements are positioned in alignment. As further precaution against tampering in Fig. 4, the handle 17 is made of such length that the wearers hand will contact the clutch bag 16, so that if the clutch bag 16 is swung by a pick-pocket, such action would become apparent to the wearer.

The bags 15 and 16 may of course be used separately whenever desired. Each may have its own distinct design,

surface decoration and color. Preferably they should be made to match or complement each other in style and design. They can be made of plastic, fabric, leather or other desired materials. The tote bag 15 may be made so stiff that it would require the clutch bag 16 to be detached at one end and swung upwardly at the other end, to gain access to the tote bag.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment herein shall be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claim rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

In an article of the character described, a first bag having an open mouth, a second bag provided with a closure means for its mouth; the second bag being positioned on the first bag and such second bag being substantially across the entire expense of the mouth of the first bag whereby it blocks the mouth of said first bag, and two connection means releasably and revolvably joining the second bag to opposite points of the first bag respectively, about a single axis, whereby the second bag is turnable about such axis to be positioned in the same direction or inverted with respect to the first bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,263 Pritchard et al. Apr. 4, 1899 1,895,744 Arnold Jan. 31, 1933 2,017,415 Lindy Oct. 15, 1935 2,258,498 Laubenstein Oct. 7, 1941 2,437,382 Czap Mar. 9, 1948 2,580,796 Kleiss et al. Ian. 1, 1952 2,661,785 Daust Dec. 8, 1953 

